Ghana to host 2011 African Football Executive Summit

Accra, March 20, GNA - Ghana will host major stakeholders in football in an international summit dubbed, 932011 African Football Executive Summit" on May 26 at the Alisa Hotel, Accra.

The summit, which is being put together by Pinnacle Group, an International Event Management Company based in the United Kingdom (UK), is aimed at linking senior executives in African and international Clubs, Leagues, Federations and to bring brands together for learning, networking and business promotion.

The event will be under the theme, 9321st Century Marketing, Branding and Leadership Strategies for the Development of Football on the African Continent" and it is expected to be a convergence of high profile football executives across the continent. A statement signed by Edward Abankwah, Director Pinnacle Group, copied to GNA Sports said the summit will deliberate on issues such as "Ensuring Effective Leadership and Governance in African Football in the 21st Century", 93Al Ahly FC (Egypt): Achieving Success On and Off the Football Pitch - as the 93African Club of the Century": A Practical African Football Club Case Study" and 93The Regulator's Point of View: Improving the Quality of the National and Local Competition and Overcoming Key Obstacles to Realise the Full Potential of African Football."

Other topics that will be discussed at the summit are; 93The African Football Renaissance 96 Key Marketing and Management Strategies to Improve the Quality of National and Local Game on the Continent", "Issues, Challenges and Benefits of Turning African Football into a Viable Television Property", 93Strategies for Building the Football Industry Infrastructure in Africa - Build Your Club Brand and Increase Turnover", 93Branding The Bundesliga as a Premium Product in Africa - How African Leagues can Monetize their own Offering" and 9321st Century Marketing Strategies for the Development of the Game on the African Continent"

The statement said football business in Africa is growing at an unprecedented rate, hence the need to take advantage of the opportunity, adding that African football will earn almost US$140 million dollars in television and marketing revenue from its competitions over the seven years to 2017, according to financial statements by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It added that available figures also show a jump of more than 100 percent in revenue from what the organization could attract for its competitions some five years ago.

The statement said the projections are indications of wide spread revival in the African football industry, adding that the only way to achieve the massive potential at the local and international level is for an urgent need to apply new age of marketing and business development strategies to increase the viability and profitability of Africa's football leagues and clubs.

"A development that must happen as a matter of some urgency if Africa is to go beyond being an exporter of football talent and to take it's rightful place in the wider Football world." It stated. It said the likes of Kwabena Agyekum, Executive Director, Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana; Kwesi Nyantakyi, President, Ghana Football Association (CAF Presidential Award for Excellence Winner 2010); Alhaji Aminu Maigari, President, Nigeria Football Federation; Jorg Daubitzer, Managing Director, Bundesliga, Germany; Cyril Loisel, FIFA Developmental Director, F=E9d=E9ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA); Khaled Mortagy, Executive Director, Al Ahly FC (Egypt) and Neil Armstrong Mortagbe FIFA Consultant/Instructor (Management & Marketing), President, Krypton Global Group have been penciled as the resource persons for the summit.